Goldman Sachs first to get swine flu vaccine. While Saturday Night Live might poke fun at the investment bank being the first to get the swine flu virus during the controversy on the company inflating earnings, the H1N1 virus is no laughing matter. The World Health Organization issued an announcement declaring the virus to be a global public health emergency. This prompted debate over the reaction to the virus; some deciding the reaction was appropriate while others felt the World Health Organization overreacted. The journals “Nature” and online “Medical News Today” offer conflicting views on the World Health Organization’s reaction to H1N, the former claiming a job well done despite minor problems while the latter claims an overreaction to the influenza outbreak. The two conflicting views on the World Health Organization’s reaction allow one to determine what must be done in response to future outbreaks.
The author of the editorial “After the Pandemic” argues for the World Health Organization and their handling of the H1N1 or Swine Flu outbreak, stating the organization, along with world leaders and other academic experts, made some mistakes while dealing with the virus but overall a good job. Public officials spent hours of debate over how the outbreak of the flu epidemic was handled. This particular author wishes the World Health Organization disclosed the names of experts who sat on the emergency committee. He or she advocates the public’s right to know the names and organizations of those who are making decisions on such an important and dangerous disease. A popular counter argument to the author’s opinion states that withholding the names prevented those on the emergency committee from being influenced in their decisions regarding the virus. One might question whether the names being withheld prevented any decisions from influence as well as the possibility of persuasion happening if faced with another outbreak.
Another article in “Medical News Today” gives a different look on the World Health Organization’s reaction to the H1N1 outbreak. The author urges people to keep the H1N1 flu in perspective, giving reason that the effects experienced by those infected do not differ from those that stem from the normal influenza virus. In the author’s opinion the World Health Organization overreacted in announcing a global health emergency. While he or she recognizes that the virus is a serious threat, the precautions that could be taken with spreading of the normal influenza virus could also work the same way with the H1N1 outbreak. The proper steps such as staying hydrated and quarantined when experiencing symptoms allows the virus to be relatively contained. This would go as good advice for any type of viral outbreak, whether one agrees with the reaction of the World Health Organization or not.
Both authors employ different methods while trying to convey their conflicting views on the World Health Organization’s reaction to H1N1. The article in “Nature” writes formally and focuses on simply stating the organization did a good job but also had a few problems. The article in “Medical News Today” writes with a more casual tone and makes an appeal for the reader to consider the effects of the H1N1 against the normal strain and how they vary only slightly. The second article mentioned makes a stronger argument only due to the fact that it focuses on building the argument against the World Health Organization’s reaction. The first article in “Nature” seems more credible, as it comes from a science journal but lacks a very compelling argument. The two together, however, give a difference in opinion for which the reader is able to make ones own decision while offering light on what to do if another viral outbreak ever occurs.
Works Cited
“After the Pandemic.” Nature. 18 August 2010. Volume 466. http://www.nature.com
/nature/journal/v466/n7309/full/466903b.html
“Expert urges Responsibility, Perspective in Reaction to H1N1 Flu Pandemic.” Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/164347.php
Photo:Photographer Unknown, http://www2.goldmansachs.com/
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